Characterization of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in pediatric patients treated with systemic corticosteroids between January and December 2019: A preliminary report
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Corticosteroids are useful drugs in the treatment of multiple medical conditions, but with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that can be serious. The pediatric population is even more vulnerable due to the difficulty of properly identifying this condition. OBJECTIVES: To describe the most frequent adverse reactions in patients who received short-term corticosteroids treatment (<14 days) in a pediatric hospital in Santiago de Chile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective descriptive observational study based on existing data between January and December 2019 in the pharmacy dispatch registry. ADRs are described in terms of the sex of the patient, prescribed medication, compromised system, severity, causality and preventability as registered in the clinical records of each case. RESULTS: 29.9% of the patients (52/174) had a suspicion of ADR (95% CI 23.2% -37.3%). The drugs with the greatest association with ADRs were prednisone and hydrocortisone (51.6% and 41.6%, respectively). The most frequently compromised systems were the CNS and gastrointestinal system. No reactions classifiable as serious or preventable were reported. DISCUSSION: The characteristics of the population studied make it difficult to accurately estimate the incidence of ADRs, potentially existing an important underreporting. Documenting ADRs that occur long-term or are determined with specialist evaluation and/or specific laboratory tests is even more complex. Despite this, the high potential incidence justifies knowing the profile of ADRs to implement strategies that reduce their frequency and severity.Keywords:
corticoids, adverse effects, paediatricsReferences
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